Juvenile Lawyers
Lawyers for At-Risk Youth
Our juvenile advocacy lawyers deal with complaints and concerns from parents, grandparents, schools, service providers, law enforcement involving children who are or may become the concern of child protective and the Georgia Department of Family and Childrens Services (DFACS).
Our juvenile justice lawyers provide legal representation to protect children negatively impacted by health, safety, neglect, delinquency, and general welfare problems. When you need help with Burns Smith Law, PC, at 770-956-1400 to speak with an experienced juvenile advocate lawyer.
Committed To Protecting Minors
At Burns Smith Law, PC, in Canton, our attorneys have served as advocates and the legal voice for minors caught in a variety of undesirable family and domestic issues.
Guardian ad-litem Services
A Guardian ad-litem is an family law attorney selected to represent a minor child in family court matters. When custody issues cannot be resolved it is often necessary to enlist the services of a guardian ad-litem.
A guardian ad-litem can talk with your child, their teachers, friends, grandparents, doctors, psychologists, and others to assist in making recommendations to the court regarding custody. Courts place a priority of the recommendations of a trained guardian ad-litem because they can spend a greater amount of time learning about the child and their needs. Further, the guardian ad-litem’s recommendations are party neutral and only concerned with the best interest of the child which is the standard for the court. The court is not required to accept the recommendations of the guardian ad-litem.
Dependency Advocacy
At-risk minor children often need the legal protection brought about by hiring an experienced juvenile advocacy lawyer. Our juvenile lawyers can help with formal dependency proceedings by representing a minor client who is believed to be the victim of abuse and/or chronic neglect. We can work alongside DFACS and social services agents to arrive at positive outcomes to protect the child(ren).
We offer prompt action to represent juveniles taken into protective care and soon to have a 72-hour hearing (deprivation proceedings). A deprivation hearing is a formal action with the purpose of the court determining whether or not there is "reasonable cause to believe that the allegations of the compliant are true." Parents typically are present at this hearing, and may have an attorney, to fight to have the child returned to the home. Our purpose is to represent the best interests of the child.
Tribunal Representation
What is a tribunal? As defined by Wikipedia, "A juvenile court is a tribunal having special authority to pass judgments for crimes that are committed by children who have not attained the age of majority. In most modern legal systems, children who commit a crime are treated differently from legal adults that have committed the same offense."
Our juvenile law experts can represent minors with any aspect of dealing with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice is a multi-faceted agency that deals with delinquency and criminal conduct of youth up to the age of 21. Ideally, our services can achieve the best possible outcome for troubled youth who otherwise could become trapped in an environment that can perpetuate negative behaviors.
How Can We Help You?
As experienced juvenile law attorneys who know how to work with local prosecutors, judges, and social workers we are prepared to help in protecting the safety, welfare, and future of any minor child in Georgia.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation to discuss your case. We would be happy to talk with you about your situation and our services. Simply call 770-956-1400 to get started.